Connecting the Shape of Time

Delicate forms emerge from solid blocks of wood, carved by the hands of Hiroto Nakanishi. Their aspects vary; some evoke ancient earthenware, while others resemble twisted ropes.

"There is an existence before me that would decay and crumble away were I not to intervene now," Nakanishi says. "The moment when a form finally reveals itself and is tethered to this world through my hands brings comfort; I bring these shapes to light, guided by the trees themselves. Perhaps what I am doing is the act of binding together an existence that is slowly drifting apart."

Indeed, his "rope" motifs evoke a sense of untangling what is intertwined and tethering time itself, while the forms created by his shell-like patterns resemble the very growth rings of time. The appearance of trees in nature is a product of the passage of time. For a delicate soul like Hiroto Nakanishi, the act of a single human intervening in this natural process means confronting the dignity of a greater existence; one can vividly sense that his work sits side-by-side with endless internal conflict.

Yet, the undeniable beauty of the forms born from this act—beauty that needs no reason—serves as his salvation and joy. In this, we too share in that profound emotion.

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Gallery NAO MASAKI

Nao Masaki​